[Southack]

If Obama wins on Tuesday, that’ll be a great question for Democrats.

[Yo-Yo]

You’re not really voting for a candidate in a Primary, you’re voting for party delegates who pledge to vote for your candidate.

If the candidate withdraws from the race prior to the convention, his/her delegates are released to vote as they please.

[cripplecreek]

So basically you’re asking what happens if our nominee loses his mind and goes postal on the campaign trail?

[Yo-Yo]

Oops, sorry. I see that your question was after the convention. My bad.

[kinoxi]

Good question. I’d assume the VP if it’s an R. I’d assume a horde of lawyers if it’s a D. They could hold another nomination process but that would leave future potential appeals with a precedent.

[bshomoic]

My understanding is that the party’s central committee would meet to choose a replacement. This is similar to what occurs in some states after a House member dies and there is no special primary election, only a special general election.

The bigger issue would be ballot access deadlines, and whether they would be changed. Even if the ballot were not changed, the electoral college could still vote for the designated replacement.

[tubebender]

You will be the first person the Secret Service will question...

[sageb1]

Who’s sick now?

[The Pack Knight]

As for ballot access for the new candidate, that would be governed by the law of each state. Major party candidates have automatic ballot access in all 50 states, usually by virtue of the number of voters registered in each state.

If the candidate dies shortly before election day, the name of the new candidate may not appear on the ballot in all 50 states. As the votes are being cast for slates of Electors, not the actual Presidential candidates, a vote for the dead candidate would essentially be a vote for electors that will vote for his replacement.

There might be an issue as to whether electors from states that legally sanction faithless electors are legally bound to vote for their party's new candidates, but, since electors are party activists, faithless electors are exceedingly rare anyway.

This would also hold true if the candidate dies after the general election but before the Electoral College votes. One is not a President-Elect, and thus subject to succession under Section 3 of the 20th Amendment, until one has been elected by the Electoral College. Until then, the "winner" of the general election is still just a candidate under the law.

[scrabblehack]

Finally found it on the Dem side:

G. Filling a Vacancy on the National Ticket:
In the event of death, resignation or
disability of a nominee of the Party for
President or Vice President after the
adjournment of the National Convention,
the National Chairperson of the
Democratic National Committee shall
confer with the Democratic leadership of
the United States Congress and the
Democratic Governors Association and
shall report to the Democratic National
Committee, which is authorized to fill the
vacancy or vacancies.

---

I’m not sure if this is relevant to my other question or not:

J. Motion to Suspend the Rules: The Chair
shall entertain a motion to suspend the
rules, which shall be decided without
debate and which shall require a vote of
two thirds of the delegates voting, a
quorum being present.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I dunno. Ask John McCain. He’d probably have his ZOMBIE rule in his stead.

[alarm rider]

Basically, given all the candidates, the possible options, consequences, etc. we are;

DOOMED